Pepper never meant to lose her best friend. Lucas never meant to fall in love.
Yet the aftermath of broken hearts leads them to blur the lines of their friendship forever. When Pepper is dumped by her boyfriend and Lucas is led on by his crush, they...
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PEPPER KISSED ME.
I brush my fingertips against my lips.
I kissed her back.
The reality of it is still uncertain as I stare out into the empty hallway. She's been in the shower for exactly five minutes, and I can't decide whether I just imagined it all or not.
One second we were laughing and the next her lips were against mine and we were kissing.
Where the hell did that come from?
Am I that high or wasn't she just saying that she doesn't see me as a guy?
Pondering alone isn't enough of an answer. Sitting here waiting for her to get out of the shower is going to torture me.
She's drunk. That's all. Drunk and she misses Mason.
Hell, I still can't get over Amber. Maybe that's why I kissed her back.
"Fuck," I mumble and thread through my hair. "I need to get sober."
I stumble downstairs without killing myself and reach the kitchen to fix a pot of coffee and two glasses of water. I chug my water and then a cup of coffee and go for a second cup of each just to anchor a sense of awareness.
Five minutes and the caffeine kicks in. Pepper is still in the shower. My heart is pounding but I blame it on the caffeine, refusing to entertain the possibility of liking any part of kissing my best friend. Yet the tingling of my lips begs to differ.
Did I enjoy it?
The softness of her lips dusts against my memory. My pulse jumps and the center of my existence longs to grasp another taste. How would it feel to go just a step further?
"Stop being an idiot." I grab my necklace and run my thumb along the curved arch of the tooth, hoping the sharp end will further decimate this fogginess. "She's drunk. I'm high. We don't need to do anything stupid."
The spray of the shower comes to a stop. A second passes and the door shuts.
I freeze.
She's out. How am I supposed to react to her?
I grab her a cup of coffee and go to the bottom of the stairs. Looking up, I catch her just as she strides out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. Damp curls cling to her brown skin and run down her back.
